This simple but striking little cardigan echoes the fashion
of the mid-Victorian lady, with its short, slightly puffed sleeve,
nipped-in waist and column of little buttons.
Named for George Eliot’s great Victorian novel, this sweater
marries Rosamond’s longing for novelty and fashion with
Dorothea’s practical and egalitarian edge. Structural and
feminine, it features an avant garde approach to lace.
The waist detail uses my ‘unvention’ of integrated
lace: here fingering-weight yarn is knitted into lace and cables
and anchored seamlessly into the fabric of a worsted-weight layer
beneath.
This quick knit is entirely seam free and the short sleeves
and scoop neck are designed to show off a long-sleeved shirt
beneath - perfect for layering on cool fall days.
It’s an easily adaptable knit. Keep working the rib on
the sleeves to end up with a cosier cardigan for winter. Knit
the lace and cable waist detail in sport or DK to achieve a different
look. Take the opportunity to play with color.
model: Miranda
Davies, Chris Emmerson photos: Anne
Liu, Miranda
Davies
SIZE
XS[S, M, L, 1X, 2X, 3X]
(Red shown in size S worn with 2 inches
positive ease at chest and 0 inches of
ease at waist. Blue shown in size M worn
with 0 inches ease at chest and waist)
Recommended needle size [always use a needle
size that gives you the gauge
listed below -- every knitter's
gauge is unique] 24
[24, 24, 24, 32, 32, 32]-inch US #7/4.5mm
circular needle or size needed to achieve gauge 1
set US #7/4.5mm double-point needles (or preferred needles for
working small circumferences like sleeves) 24-inch
US #13/9mm circular needle or size needed to achieve gauge
20 sts/25 rows = 4" in
stockinette stitch with MC on smaller needles
10 sts/12 rows = 4" in pattern stitch with CC on larger
needles
PATTERN NOTES [Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]
1/2 LC: Slip 1 st to cn and hold in
front, k2; k1 from cn.
Plain Rib (worked flat over multiple of 5 sts + 3) Row 1 [RS]: *K3, p2; rep from * to last 3 sts, k3. Row 2 [WS]: *P3, k2; rep from
* to last 3 sts, p3.
Plain Rib (worked in the round over multiple of 5 sts) Every Round: *K3, p2; rep from * around.
Notes on gauge and fit: Gauge swatches are not optional for this project! This technique
will not work unless you get a
suitable gauge with your MC and CC layer.
Don't break your own heart: suck it up
and swatch.
How to swatch for your CC: Cast on 18 sts with larger needles.
Work as follows: Row 1 [WS]: P1, k1, work Row
1 of Chart A, work Row 1 of Chart B,
k1, p1.
Keeping the edge stitches in 1x1 rib,
cont to work through Row 17 of Charts A and B. BO extremely loosely.
Wash and pin out so that the swatch is a square measuring 6.75
inches across and 6 inches high. Dry and contemplate. The yarn
should not be tortured. It should block easily to that size while
still opening out. If necessary, go up or down a needle size.
Effect too delicate? As long as you hit gauge you can knit this
layer in sport or DK.
You want the underbust/waist decreases to hit below your bust.
If you have a very large or low bust
you may need to work more than the 3
inches suggested before working the decreases.
I suggest slipping the body stitches onto waste yarn before working
the dec row, trying it on and checking that your bust is fully
covered. The waist detailing does not start until you have worked
5 inches below the armhole – so
you can easily move the shaping down
by 1 or 2 inches without otherwise changing
the pattern.
Charts The charts for this pattern are very large
and fit on a letter-sized page.
Click here and print the resulting
page.
DIRECTIONS
Yoke
With smaller circular needle, cast on 93[113, 133, 133, 133, 133, 133]
sts. Work in plain rib for 1 inch, finishing with RS facing for next row.
Change to St st and work your first increase row as follows:
Inc Row 1 [RS]: [K2, m1] to last st, k1. 139[169, 199,
199, 199, 199, 199] sts.
Sizes XS, S, M, L only:
Cont in St st until work measures 2.5
inches from cast on edge, finishing with RS facing for next
row.
All sizes:
Work in St st until piece measures approx
6.5[7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9, 9.5] inches from CO edge, ending after
a WS row.
Now divide for sleeves and body as follows:
Dividing Row [RS]: K33[37, 43, 48, 53, 59, 62] sts;
place next 40[45, 50, 54, 61, 67, 70] sts on waste yarn; CO 14[14,
16, 17, 17, 17, 21] sts for underarm using the backwards loop
cast on; k 59[69, 73, 82, 89, 98, 103] sts; put next 40[45, 50,
54, 61, 67, 70] sts on waste yarn; CO 14[14, 16, 17, 17, 17,
21] sts for underarm using the backwards loop cast on; k to end.
You will now have your body sts on your needles and your sleeves
on waste yarn. 153[171, 191, 212, 229, 250, 269] body sts on
needles.
Body
Cont in St st on body sts until piece
measures 3 inches from underarm, ending with RS facing for
next row.
Work in St st for a further 2 inches, ending with RS facing
for next row.
Marked Row (RS): Work in St st. Thread waste yarn on
a tapestry needle and draw yarn through this row; alternatively,
mark this row with a locking stitch marker.
Now cont to work in St st until Body measures 11 inches from
underarm (and approx. 6 inches from marked row), ending after
a WS row.
Leave MC body sts on needle or slip to waste yarn (do not break
yarn).
Begin Lace Overlayer:
You will be picking up sts along your
marked row using CC and larger needles. You may find it easier
if you use a crochet hook to pick up your sts and then place
them on your needle.
Pick up 1 st in each of the first 2 sts of the marked row, then
[skip 1 st, pick up in 1 st] 55[65, 75, 87, 93, 103, 117] times,
skip the next st and then pick up the last 2 sts of the row.
59[69, 79, 91, 97, 107, 121] sts picked up in CC.
Please note:Sizes S,
M, 1X and 2X use Chart A and Chart
B. Size XS and L use Chart A and Chart C. Please make sure
you are working from the correct charts for your size.
Sizes XS and L only: Next Row [WS]: P2, [work Chart
C, work Chart A] 3[5] times, work Chart
C, p2.
Next Row [RS]: K2, [work Chart
C, work Chart A] 3[5] times, work Chart
C, k2.
Rep these 2 rows until Row 17 [WS] of
Chart A is completed.
Sizes S and XL only: Next Row [WS]: P1, k1, [work
Chart A, work Chart B] 4[6] times,
work Chart A, k1, p1.
Next Row [RS]: K1, p1, [work
Chart A, work Chart B] 4[6] times,
work Chart A, p1, k1.
Rep these 2 rows until Row 17 [WS] of
Chart A is completed.
Sizes M, 2X and 3X only: Next Row [WS]: P2, [work Chart
B, work Chart A] 5[7, 8] times, work
Chart B, p2.
Next Row [RS]: K2, [work Chart
B, work Chart A] 5[7, 8] times, work
Chart B, k2.
Rep these 2 rows until Row 17 [WS] of
Chart A is completed.
When you have completed Chart A, rejoin your lace sts to the
main layer as follows:
With RS facing, hold your larger and smaller needles parallel
with the larger needle in front. With smaller needles and MC,
work sts tog as follows:
[K 1 st from back and 1 st from front ndl tog] twice, then [k1
from back ndl only, k 1 st from back and 1 st from front ndl
tog] 55[65, 75, 87, 93, 103, 117] times, k1 from back ndl only,
[k 1 st from back and 1 st from front ndl tog] twice. 115[135,
155, 179, 191, 211, 239] body sts rem.
Work 1 WS row, inc 3[3, 3, 4, 2, 2, 4] sts evenly across row.
118[138, 158, 183, 193, 213, 243] body sts.
Work in Plain Rib for 2 inches.
BO loosely in rib or using your favorite stretchy bind off.
SLEEVE
With dpns or circular needle, rejoin
MC and knit across one held set of sleeve sts, then pick up
and knit 7[7, 8, 8, 8, 8, 11] sts to center of underarm, pm
for beg of round, then pick up and knit final 7[7, 8, 9, 9,
9, 10] sts of underarm.
Now work Plain Rib over all sts until sleeve measures 2.5 inches
from underarm or desired length.
BO loosely in rib. Repeat for other sleeve.
Buttonbands Pin the edges of the lace overlayer firmly into place over the
main layer.
Starting with the buttonband on the left front of the cardigan,
pick up 93[93, 98, 98, 103, 103, 108]
sts evenly from neck to hem (if you've
worked to the gauge and length given
for your size, you'll be picking up roughly
3 sts for every 4 rows). When you get
to the lace overlayer you'll be picking
up through both layers. Concentrate on
picking up as instructed from the base
layer and work through whichever is the
most convenient space in the edge column
of stitches of the lace overlayer.
Starting with a WS row, work in Plain Rib for 9 rows. BO loosely.
Now pick up the same number of sts for the buttonhole band on
the right front of the cardigan, using
the same technique. Starting with a WS
row, work in Plain Rib for 3 rows.
Row 4 [RS]: K3, p2, [k1, BO 1 (leaving 1 new knit st
on needle after BO), p2] 17[17, 18, 18, 19, 19, 20] times, k3.
Row 5 [WS]: P3, k2, [p1, CO 1 st using backward loop
cast on, p1, k2] 17[17, 18, 18, 19, 19, 20] times, p3.
Cont to work in Plain Rib for 4 more rows, then BO loosely.
FINISHING
Weave in all ends. Sew on buttons to correspond with buttonholes.
Block to measurements, concentrating on opening up the waist
detail.
ABOUT THE DESIGNER
Miranda Davies is a writer by trade. When she isn't writing drama
for radio she knits... and reads about knitting... and thinks about
knitting... to the point of obsession.
She lives in South Wales
with her husband and their two daughters. You'll
find her here on Ravelry.
